Important Medicines and their Uses
Borage leaves To be chewed and eaten. The plant can be distinguished by its small blue or pink star-shaped flowers. Great for nursing queens as it helps increase their supply of milk. Also brings down fever. Burdock root A tall-stemmed, sharp-smelling thistle with dark leaves. A medicine cat must dig up the roots, wash off the dirt, and chew it into a pulp, which can be applied to rat bites. Cures infection. Catmint (also known as catnip) A delicious-smelling, leafy plant that's hard to find in the wild; often found growing in Twoleg gardens. The best remedy for greencough. Chevril A sweet-smelling plant with large, spreading, fern-like leaves and small white flowers. The juice of the leaves can be used for infected wounds, and chewing the roots help with bellyache. Cobweb Spider webs can be found all over the forest; be careful not to bring alo=ng the spider when you take the web! Medicine cats wrap it around an ingury to soak up the blood and keep the wound clean. Stops bleeding. Coltsfoot A flowering plant, a bit like dandelion, with yellow or white flowers. The leaves can be chewed into a pulp, which is eaten to help shortness of breath. Comfry Identifiable by its large leaves and small bell-shaped flowers, which can be pink, white, or purple. The fat black roots of this plant can be chewed into a poultice to mend broken bones or soothe wounds. Dock A plant similar to sorrel. The leaf can be chewed up and applied to soothe scratches. Dried oak leaf Collected in the autumn and stored in dry places. Stops infections. Feverfew A small bush with flowers like daisies. The leaves can be eaten to cool down body temperature, particuarly for cats with fever or chills. Goldenrod A tall plant with bright yellow flowers. A poultice of this is terrific for healing wounds. Honey A sweet, golden liquid created by bees. Difficult to collect without getting stung, but great for soothing infections or the troats of cats who have breathed smoke. Horsetail A tall plant with bristly stems that grow in marshy areas. The leaves can be used to treat infected wounds. Usually chewed up and applied as a poultice. Juniper berries A bush with spiky dark green leaves and purple berries. The berries sooth bellyaches and help cats who are having trouble breathing. Lavender A small purple flowering plant. Cures fever. Marigold A bright orange or yellow flower that grows low to the ground. The petals or leaves can be chewed into a pulp and applied as a poultice to wounds. Stops infection. Mouse bile A bad-smelling liquid that is the only remedy for ticks. Dab a little moss soaked in bile on a tick and it'll fall right off. Wash paws thoroughly in running water afterward. Poppy seed Small black seeds shaken from a dried poppy flower, these are fed to cats to help them sleep. Soothes cats suffering from shock and distress. Not recommended for nursing queens. Stinging nettle The spiny green seeds can be administered to a cat who's swallowed poison, while the leaves can be applied to a wound to bring down swelling. Tansy A strong-smelling plant with round yellow flowers. Good for curing coughs, but must be eaten in small doses. Thyme This herb can be eaten to calm anxiety and frayed nerves. Water mint A leafy plant found in streams or damp earth. Usually chewed into a pulp and then fed to a cat suffering bellyache. Wild garlic Rolling in a patch of wild garlic can help prevent infection, especially for dangerous wounds like rat bites. Yarrow A flowering plant whose leaves can be made into a poultice and applied to wounds or scratches to expel poison. NOTE: Deathberries Red berries that can be fatally poisonous to kits and elders. They are NOT a medicine. Known to Twolegs as yew berries. BEWARE!